Ron Cottingham retires; had role in public safety laws

SACRAMENTO  Ron Cottingham, a longtime deputy with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, has announced he will be retiring as head of one of the state’s most potent police lobbies in the Capitol.

Cottingham will step down in November as president of the 64,000-member Police Officers Research Association of California.

His 10 years at the helm was the longest ever for a PORAC president.

During that time he took on high-profile controversial issues, from prison overcrowding to the death penalty repeal initiative.

He also worked on “Chelsea’s Law” to crack down on predators after the murders of San Diego County teenagers Amber Dubois and Chelsea King. He also had a hand in developing Megan’s Law that allows the public to see where registered sex offenders live.

“His legacy will live on,” said Mike Durant, vice president of PORAC. mike.gardner@utsandiego.com• (916) 445-2934